


Recover

by astarryjelly



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety, Asspollo, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Light Smut, Not Beta Read, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Trauma, Triggers, abuse victim, apollo sucks we hate him, beta? whats a beta, hades is best boyfriend, just foreplay really, not i, not really smut, persephone deserves the world, who uses tags normally
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24758512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astarryjelly/pseuds/astarryjelly
Summary: Persephone has a long way to recover from her abusive relationship, but Hades is with her every step of the way.
Relationships: Amphitrite/Poseidon (Lore Olympus), Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus), Hera/Zeus (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66





	1. It's gonna be ok

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old one lol I just found it in the depths of my laptop. I wanted to dive more into the depths of an abusive relationship and the recovery after it. It's something I feel like people don't talk about enough.

They met at a party. He made moves on her, grabbing her and touching her. He tried to talk to her all that night but she avoided him, sticking to her best friends Artemis' side. Until she found out that he was Artemis' twin brother. 

He came home with them that night. She tried to avoid him as much as possible, sitting on the other side of Artemis throughout the night. The girl acted like a wall between the predator and his prey. He reached behind his sister's shoulders, massaging the shoulder of the girl. 

She was attractive, undeniably. She had chocolate skin, a mess of curls spilling down her back. It was dyed a soft pink. He rubbed her shoulder seductively, making a knot form in the girl's stomach. However, it wasn't one of arousal it was of fear. 

That night, he snuck into her room and had his way with her. She cried silently the entire time, pushing him away, trying to do anything to get him to stop. Nothing worked. After he was finished, he pulled out and slid into bed with her. He continued to rub up and down her body as she forced herself to try to sleep. 

Finally, she drifted off and woke up in the morning to him getting dressed. 

"Bye baby. I'll see you tomorrow for our date." He smirked. He strolled out of her bedroom and left her sitting there by herself. 

She just sat there and cried. She cried until she felt she couldn't anymore. She pulled out her phone and called Aidoneus, her boss and one of her best friends. 

"Hello?" He questioned. His deep voice soothing her anxieties. 

"Hi, Aidoneus. Sorry, I just needed to talk to someone and you were the first person I saw."

"That's alright. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, I just needed to talk to someone. I need a distraction." 

"Ok." He distracted her for hours, just talking and listening to her talk about anything. She withheld the information about her rape. 

In the next few weeks she found herself in a relationship with Apollo. She had no way to fight him away or protect herself. He was abusive, hitting her or raping her when she did something he didn't like. 

She would show up to work with bruises all over her. She lied and said she was just clumsy, afraid of what her 'boyfriend' would do to her if he knew someone found out. Until one day, she couldn't hide it. 

She had taken to working late to avoid being home with Apollo. She sat in her office, the only people left in the building being her, Hecate, and Hades. 

She sat at her desk when she heard booming footsteps. They rushed towards her. A hand gripped her shoulder and whipped her around. 

"KORE PERSEPHONE!" He yelled in her face. 

She collapsed in on herself, trying to make herself smaller than she naturally was. 

"Apollo, dear what's going on?" She questioned, softly. 

"Don't act all innocent. I know you're staying here to hook up with that boss of yours!" He yelled. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Why aren't you wearing that sweater? No one wants to see those gross ass arms! Cover that shit!" He dug his fingers harder into her wrist, slapping her across the face. It was an insult she heard constantly. Usually, he would hurt her for not wearing the sweater, stating that she knows better than that.

"I'm sorry." She pulled on the white sweater, pulling the sleeves up over her hands. 

"Where is that bitchass boss of yours that you always talk about. I'm gonna beat him up, that wimp."

"I swear he's not involved in any of this." 

"SHUT UP!" He ripped his arm away and hit her, throwing her to the floor. Her head banged against the cold concrete floor and a gash opened up above her eye. She struggled to stand up and just laid there. 

"THAT'S ENOUGH" A louder voice boomed through the hallway. 

A large man stepped into the room. He had vibrant blue eyes and silver hair slicked back nicely. 

"Oh- so- so this is the FAMOUS Aidoneus Hades." Something in the way he faltered tipped Kore off to the fact that Apollo was afraid. He hadn't expected Hades to be built the way he was. 

Apollo was smaller in frame. He was only around 5'10". He was muscular but it was all lean muscle.

Aidoneus, on the other hand, was large. He was around 6'5" and muscular. He was toned and strong looking. He was the CEO and founder of the biggest company in Olympus, a pretty big feat. His voice was also deeper than the ocean and honey to her ears. 

She couldn't deny the fact that she did have feelings for her boss. However, not only was he her boss, her current 'boyfriend' would never let her go. 

"Yes, I am Aidoneus. You better get out of here before someone makes you." 

"Aw what are you gonna do? Kick me out?" 

"I don't know if I prefer kicking or hitting, maybe both." He growled.

"I-, that is no way to speak to someone in your business." 

"However, you are merely in my building that I OWN. You are harassing one of my employees and causing a scene at my place of work. I can make you leave if I want."

"I- Ugh Persephone let's go!" He walked to the floor and grabbed the bleeding girl. She staggered to her feet and began to leave with him. She stumbled and tripped as he tried to pull her out. 

"Leave her here." 

"No! You can't make me leave my girlfriend here!" 

"She is not off of work, nor is she excused to leave this building. If she leaves, I'm calling the police. Don't make me get my brothers involved in this."

"You're- oh my gods. Aidoneus Hades, brother to the mayor Zeus and governor Poseidon." 

"That's correct. Now leave Kore here before things get violent." He rolled up the sleeves of his button down. 

"Fine!" He threw the girl onto the ground. Her head hit a desk and this time, it knocked her unconscious.

"You little-" He swung at the boyfriend, sending him flying to the ground. "Get your dirty little ass out of here and if I see you again, next time I won't be so forgiving." 

Apollo rose slowly to his feet, spitting blood onto the floor. He rushed at Hades again but he held out a hand and stopped him, sending him tumbling back. He rose again and this time Aidoneus swung forward, punching him hard. He fell onto his back and Hades dropped to his level, punching him again. 

"Fine I give up!" Apollo yelled. 

"Good." He lifted him off the floor and threw him, causing him to stumble as he began to leave the room.

"If you say anything, or do anything again, my brothers will get involved." 

He stepped into the elevator and left the building. 

The moment Apollo disappeared, his tough guy facade dropped and tears flowed down his cheeks. The girl was stirring, clutching her head and sobbing. She would definitely need stitches and probably had a concussion too. 

"Kore." He murmured, dropping to her level. 

"Hades." She sat up slowly. 

He shifted to hug her but she pulled away fast. 

"Please don't touch me." She whispered breathlessly. 

"Ok, I'm sorry. Let me take you to the hospital please?"

"I can't, Apollo is going to be mad at me." She spoke softly, looking to make sure there was no one around. She was petrified, shaking and trembling.

"Kore, sweetness, you don't have to worry about him right now. He's gone. Please, your forehead is really bad."

"Ok."

She tried to rise and walk alongside him, but her legs gave out the moment she rose. She landed cross legged on the floor. 

"Hades I can't do this."

"Here. Can I please carry you? I can just piggy back you if you want but we need to get out of here." 

"Okay." 

He helped her up and slid her so she sat on her desk. He turned and let her latch onto his back. 

"Can I touch your thighs?"

"Yes. I'm sorry they're so gross."

"They're not sweetness, I promise." 

He hated how Apollo programmed this into her brain. She was beautiful, everyone around her could see it. He tried to not let his affection for her get in the way, he needed to be strong for her right now. 

He had dealt with an abusive relationship before, but it was never physical. The one time she laid a hand on him he broke it off with her. It seemed to be the opposite for Persephone.

She would come in to work all sorts of battered and bruised. She always had an excuse. He never paid mind to her injuries but he watched her carefully. Recently, she stumbled into his office and asked if she could leave early. Her reasoning was that she was having family troubles and needed to get home, but looking back that clearly wasn't the case. 

He brought her out to his car and laid her carefully in the passenger seat. He slid into his side and started up the car. He handed her a soft cloth and asked her to hold it to her forehead, still pouring blood, as they began their drive. 

"Aidoneus." She spoke quietly. His eyes stayed trained on the road as he spoke. 

"Yes sweetness?"

"What's going to happen?"

"Well what do you mean?"

"After all of that I can't go back home to Apollo, he would kill me. I have nowhere to live, I'm sure you don't want me working here anymore, I-"

"Kore, kore calm down." He tried to keep his tone as soft as possible. "We will find you some living arrangements. Coming from the most influential family in the state has some benefits you know? And I would love for you to continue working here. You help a lot of people, I don't think you realize that." 

"Oh um, thank you." She tugged at her sleeves. 

"You can take off the sweater you know. You don't have to wear it." He suggested. 

"No I'm sure you don't-" She gagged suddenly. This must be the after affects of the concussion. 

"Kore are you ok?"

"Yeah I just-" Another gag. Finally they pulled up to the hospital. 

"Can I carry you another way?" 

"Please just, I don't know, be careful." 

"Always." He lifted her into a bridal carry and she snuggled up to his chest. 

Something about his presence was comforting. She wasn't sure if it was his size, or his gentleness, or his scent. He smelled like a forest fire in the middle of winter. No matter what, the way he held her made her feel safe for the first time in years. 

"Help, I need help." He called out once he stepped inside. He was instantly met by a large group of nurses. 

"Sir what happened?" The nurses helped her onto a gurney. 

"This is Kore Persephone, it's a domestic abuse case. He came to her workplace and beat her. I had to interfere. She hit her head on the ground and a desk and was hit in the face and other body parts multiple times. 

"Oh dear. I'll send out another nurse to get your hand taken care of." An older woman spoke as they wheeled Persephone away. 

He hadn't noticed the ripped skin on the back of his hand from going after Apollo. A nice nurse walked him back to a room and sat him on a chair. She inspected his injuries as well as took his vitals before leaving and letting a doctor in the room. 

"Well sir, care to explain what happened?" The doctor asked. He prepped the area to give him stitches. 

"This girl, she works for me, her boyfriend- ex boyfriend, came to the office and attacked her. He knocked her unconscious and I stood up for her. I punched him in the head and we fought a bit." 

"Ah ok. This girl, she seems special to you. That is, unless you would do that for all of your employees." The doctor smirked as he began stitching. He only needed a few. 

"She is the most- OW- beautiful woman I've ever seen. I think- OW FUCK- I think I'm in love with her. She's here too, I can't wait to- OW- see her again."

"I hope everything goes well with you." He smiled. He then explained how to take care of himself and all the basic procedures. 

"Well you're all stitched up." He placed a bandage over the stitches carefully. "Now go get your girl, she needs you right now." 

Aidoneus strolled out of his room and went up to the front desk. 

"Hello Jane, do you happen to know what room Kore Persephone is in and if I can visit her?"

"Ah yes, hello Aidoneus. She is in room 1209 and she is available to visit." 

"Ok perfect, thank you. By the way, if you see Phoebus Apollo here, don't let him anywhere near her room." 

He walked down the hallway to her room and found her fast asleep in her bed. 

He dropped down into the chair beside her bed. 

"Kore, what am I gonna do?" He murmured. 

The younger girl began to stir, shifting in her bed before opening her eyes. One eye was swollen shut, a large bump above it. It had about 8 stitches in it. She had a few stitches just below her lip from another cut. He body was all sorts of bruised and tattered. 

"Aidoneus?" She seemed confused. 

"Yes sweetness?"

"What happened to me?"

"You needed stitches sweetness. You got some in your forehead and chin. They had to patch you up a lot." 

Suddenly she began to cry. She let out all of her emotions and just sobbed. He wanted so desperately to cradle her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be ok. Instead, he reached out a careful hand. 

"Can I hold your hand?" He asked. 

She placed her hand in his lightly and a soft smile came across her face through the tears. 

"Thank you Aidoneus, really, for everything." 

"Of course. You will be discharged tomorrow so I think we might want to discuss the living situation." 

"Oh yeah." He rubbed the back of her hand soothingly with his thumb. 

"Hey, it's ok. Let's go through some options. I know you used to live with Artemis, there's your mother, I have a spare room if necessary, and there is also my brother's home. His wife is amazing you would love her." 

"Well I want to avoid my mom at all costs. She doesn't really know Apollo too well but she didn't like him. Apollo still has easy access to Artemis' home. It's between you and your brother." 

"How about you stay with me for a little. We can take some time off of work and get this all sorted out."

"That sounds nice."

"Ok perfect. I believe visiting hours end soon so I should be on my way. I'll be back first thing tomorrow ok?"

"No wait!" She called out. A hand flew over her mouth and she flinched away from him. She seemed to regret speaking, looking down. 

"It's ok Kore, I'm not going to do anything. What did you want to say?"

"Please," She adjusted herself to sit a little higher. "Don't go. I don't wanna be alone"

"Kore I have to go. I'm not allowed to stay past visiting hours." 

"Oh ok. Sorry for bugging you. I'll see you tomorrow then." She looked so sad, he had to do something. 

"No Kore it's just," He ran his hands through his hair. "Here let me see if I can get you out of here early." 

"Oh um ok?"

He walked out of the room and left her alone for just a moment. In the moment, she could have sworn she saw Apollo walk past her room. She started crying again. She felt like he was there, watching her and following her. The moment she was alone he would attack and she would be in that moment all over again. 

Hades strolled back into the room, instantly at her side when he realized she was crying.

"Kore what's wrong." 

"I thought I saw him."

"Don't worry, he's not allowed anywhere near here ok? The doctors said you could leave tonight as long as you were always under supervision. They'll be in here in a bit to get you set to leave ok?" 

"Ok. Thank you for all of this Hades." 

"Of course sweetness. I'm always here for you. Apollo can't hurt you now." 

"Thank you Aidoneus."


	2. You Can't Love the Pain Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone is doing a lot better, but that doesn't mean everything is perfect.

She was flourishing. 

After she had recovered physically, Hades asked her to be his girlfriend. 

She rejected his love, stating that she wasn't ready for another relationship, but that she does love him, and if he loves her he would wait. Well, waiting is exactly what he did. It had been about 2 years since the breakup and she finally felt she was ready to pursue a relationship with Aidoneus. 

_She had been living with him since the attack, he welcomed her, telling her that his house was lonely anyway._

_She snuck up behind him one day and wrapped her arms around his torso. Her chin rested on his back and she laughed._

_"Someone is happy today." He joked, turning around in her arms. His hands fell around her and he smiled down at her. "What's got you so giddy sweetness?"_

_"I love you." She murmured._

_"I love you too. What is this all about?"_

_"I think I'm finally ready if you are. I want to try to make this work."_

_"Are you talking about a relationship?"_

_"Yes. I'm sorry," She pulled away from him. "I understand if you've lost interest in me. I would too if I were in your shoes." Her eyes were focused on her feet while she played with her fingers._

_"No you've got it all wrong. I just want to make sure you're doing this for you and not because you know I want it. I will wait for eternity for your happiness my love."_

_"I'm sure I want this. It might not be the easiest relationship and I need you to understand that I am also still learning. It may not be exactly what you want."_

_"What I want, is a relationship with you. All of you, scars and bruises included." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. "Can I kiss you."_

_"Mhm." She smiled back._

_Suddenly his lips were on hers and it was like everything finally came together._

_With Apollo kisses were rough, painful. Awkward biting of lips and hands roaming her body._

_With him they were careful. He didn't take over the kiss, letting her guide their motions. His hands stayed glued to her waist and hers slithered into his hair. He tasted like mint and chocolate and his lips were so soft, like clouds against hers._

_They pulled away breathlessly. She held her breath for a minute after they pulled away. His hands came to her shoulders._

_"Kore, breathe."_

_She let out the breath she was holding, opening her eyes._

_"Was that ok?" He asked anxiously._

_"Yes, Aidoneus, that was more than ok." She laughed._

_"Does this make you my girlfriend now?" He asked, bringing her close to him again._

_"I think it does."_

They were currently laying in their bed. It had been about a year since they got together and everything was good. While she still had some problems, it was the happiest she had been in a long time. 

Her legs swung over his hips and her hands came to rest in his hair. She captured his lips in a passionate kiss. 

His hands took to her ass, massaging it slowly to ensure she was ok with this. 

She had grown to hate the way people treated her. They treated her like she was fragile and weak. She isn't, she just has some problems. Aidoneus was the only person who treated her like a regular person, albeit carefully. 

"Oh Hades." She moaned against his lips. 

He felt himself getting hard under her and her movements weren't helping. She could feel him under her and got a few ideas. 

"Hades, I want to try to go a little further today." She whispered against his lips. 

"Are you sure." He pulled back from her for a moment. 

"Yes." Her lips came back to his, but this time she rolled her hips against his. A loud groan spilled out of his mouth. 

The farthest they had gone was kissing, never going as far as the try to stimulate the other any other way. 

She continued to grind against him, letting out a soft moan. She had never enjoyed any sexual activities with Apollo, but with Hades it was different. She felt the love oozing out of him. 

Aidoneus paused briefly at the sound, he had never heard a sound more beautiful in his life. 

His hips continued to grind against hers as his hands guided her hips. 

She pulled at the buttons on his shirt, pulling them undone. Her lips began an attack on his chest nipping and biting. His hips buck up against hers. 

"Oh Hades!" She whined. 

"Can- can I take off your top?" He asked through ragged breath. She just nodded, continuing her activities. 

His hands slid under the hem of her shirt and separated her from his chest for a moment. The shirt was thrown lightly to the side and he unclipped her bra carefully. His lips found their way to her right breast and he pulled her nipple between his teeth slowly. 

"Oh gods Aidoneus!" She cried as her hips continued to move. He gave her other breast equal love, cupping it in his hand. 

They played like this for a while until he flipped them over slowly. At this point they were both fully naked. Her back was pressed into the mattress and his elbows supported him above her. It was suddenly harder to breathe. 

"Aidoneus, Aidoneus can we stop? Please?" She looked freaked out, her breath quickening. 

"Of course, of course." He rolled away from her and landed in the bed next to her. 

He snuggled up beside her, pulling the covers over their bodies. His hands wrapped around her, rubbing up and down her arm. 

"I'm sorry I can't do this. I want to so badly, and you deserve it but I just can't." He could tell she was upset. 

"Hey it's ok. Our relationship shouldn't be dependent on sex. I can wait for as long as you need."

"I just, I thought I was ready. But suddenly he creeped back into my mind again." Now she was just frustrated. 

"It's gonna be like that. But that's ok because you are healing. At the very beginning you wouldn't even let me touch you, now look where we are. You've made it so far. Progress isn't linear and that's ok. I'm very proud of you." He pressed a kiss to her temple. 

"I just feel like I'm not making progress. Besides, I hate that I get you like this," She motioned to their situation, rolling onto her side to face him. "But just leave you before you're satisfied." She nuzzled deeper into the crook of his neck. 

"Kore, Persephone, my love. Sex isn't just about pleasure, it's about genuine connection. This is weird to say but if this happens again I can take care of myself." Her face got red at the thought. "I would feel less pleasure knowing you were unhappy or uncomfortable with what you're doing. Don't worry about me. Sex requires consent on both sides and I'd kill myself before touching you if you didn't want it." 

"Thank you for this Aidoneus. I feel better now." She smiled, cuddling into him. 

A loud alarm startled them both. 

"Ah shit!" Aidoneus exclaimed. He pressed the off button on his phone and turned back to look at his girlfriend. 

"What was that for?" She asked. 

"We need to get ready, my brothers are gonna be here soon with their wives for our monthly dinner. We're hosting this month remember." 

She let out a loud groan and rolled out of bed. Suddenly she felt embarrassed at her exposed body and she pulled a robe over herself. 

He did the same and walked over to her. 

"You don't have to be embarrassed, you're beautiful." He hugged her and she looked up into his eyes. 

"Are you sure we have to get dressed?" She whispered, kissing his lips again. 

"I'm sure." 

She walked away to their walk in closet and picked out an outfit. It was a semi-casual night so she opted for some black jeans. She paired them with a soft white, off the shoulder, blouse and made her way to the bathroom to get ready.

Hades smiled as he leaned against the doorway watching her. He would never stop being proud of her and her growth. When she was with Apollo, she fell into a skeleton. She didn't eat much after being constantly verbally abused about her weight. She grew quiet and scared, a contrast to the old Kore they knew. She was bubbly and high energy but all of her energy seemed drained. She was a shell of herself. 

Now, the old Kore was coming back, bit by bit. 

She danced around the bathroom, singing along to some song from a Disney movie. She applied light makeup and styled her hair in a half up half down. 

He came up behind her and rested his head on top of hers. 

"Hello love." 

"Hello darling, you look ravishing." His face turned a bit red. 

"I could say the same for you. If my brothers weren't coming I'd have you on the counter right now." He whispered in her ear, pulling away quickly and retreating to their bedroom. 

"Aidoneus!" She yelled out, following him out of the bathroom. Her face was a light red. 

They walked down the stairs together and separated once they made it to the kitchen. 

Persephone went to feed all of the dogs, and Hades began to make the meal. He prepared some seared vegetables, an assortment of meat, some rice, and a few other sides. Meanwhile, Kore prepared the table. 

Once every month, the brothers and their S.Os would get together, alternating homes, and have dinner together. They would watch a movie and then have some dessert. It was a family tradition. This time, it was their turn to host. The idea was previously for them all to spend the night at the house and talk and play games, but ever since Persephone walked into his life, he put an end to the idea. Ever since her first assault by Apollo, she had grown really cautious of who she let into her home. Sleepovers don't work for her, and Aidoneus put her over all else. 

Aidoneus was finishing making the dishes when the doorbell rung. 

"I got it." She rose from the couch, bringing Cerberus, Hades' large dog, with her. They walked to the door together and she checked the doorbell. She saw Zeus and Poseidon standing in front of the door. 

She pulled the door open and the two let themselves into her home. 

"Kore hi!" Poseidon waved at her. 

"What's up Kore?" Zeus smiled.

They walked further into her home, coming to a stop in their dining room. 

"Where's out brother?" Zeus questioned. 

"Oh he's just in the kitchen finishing up the meals. Where are you guys wives?" She couldn't help but feel on edge. Letting new people into her home was always stressful, especially when it was two men. 

"They're coming in now." 

The two women came up behind Kore. 

"Kore!"

Hera, Zeus' wife, pulled her into a tight hug and Amphitrite joined in. While she was a little uncomfortable, there was nothing she couldn't handle. 

"Woah woah woah, don't kill her." Hades laughed, walking into the room. 

"Hey big broooo!" Zeus exclaimed, highfiving his brother. 

Poseidon merely nodded to him. 

"Hey Bunny." He hugged Hera once she finally let Kore go and Amphitrite gave him a side hug. 

Lastly, he walked to Persephone, swinging his arms around her shoulder. 

"Hello love." She snickered and hit his chest.

"Ok enough of the love fest, let's eat." Zeus commented. It wasn't often they all got to see each other like this, so these events were always a big deal.

They all walked to the kitchen and dished themselves up, taking a seat at the beautifully laid out table. 

They made small talk throughout the meal. 

"So yeah, I've been trying some new exfoliators to get smoother skin. My skin is just so rough." Hera explained. She and Amphitrite had been going on for 30 minutes about their extensive skincare routine. 

"You can say that again." Zeus joked.

"Yeah I'm sure Kore's arms are super soft. Am I right Aidoneus?"

_Arms_

Persephone didn't have many triggers aside from the standard, major, ones. But her arms was one of her biggest. All she could imagine is Apollo tying her arms to the bed and having his way with her. He would always make her cover her arms, calling them disgusting. Her made her wear sweaters and long sleeve shirts no matter how hot it was. Having them pointed out stirred something in her.

"Hey Perse, you there?" Zeus asked. 

"Don't call me that please." She spoke. Suddenly everything about him was back. The way he hurt her, his pet name for her, the way he talked about her body. 

"Jeez sorry." Zeus said, annoyed. 

"If you'll excuse me." She spoke softly, rising from her chair and pushing back into the hallway that lead to their bedroom.

"What's up with her?" Zeus huffed, falling back into his chair. 

Hades was the only one who knew Kore's triggers, but he knew it would be best to let her breathe for a moment. 

"Just leave it Zeus." Hera snapped. 

Hera knew a decent amount about what happened. She and Kore had grown really close and she often heard little bit of the story. 

Kore arrived back in the room, looking a little shaken. She sat back in her chair and looked down at her lap. 

"Is everything ok 'Seph?" Hades questioned. 

Times like this were the hardest. He wanted nothing more than to just love her pain away, and he knew he couldn't. The hardest part of loving someone with trauma, or a mental illness, was coming to terms with the fact that you can't just love the pain away, but you can be there by their side. She had warmed up a bit to affection when she went into this state, but when people touch her she panics a bit. Even Hades was a bit difficult for her. 

"Hm?" She was spacing out. "Oh! Um, yeah I just needed a breather for a moment." 

He reached out and held her hand tightly. She offered him a small smile before shying away. 

The dinner went relatively smoothly. Aidoneus made a mental note that Kore had barely touched her food after returning. 

Finally the dinner was all wrapped up the guests left and it was just the two of them again. She finally felt like she could breathe. 

They both went up to their room and switched into more comfortable clothing. She collapsed into the bed. She was exhausted. Everything today was too much. 

"Kore, baby. Do you wanna talk about today?" He asked, sliding into bed next to her. She nuzzled into his chest. "You don't have to but I'm here if you want."

She struggled with talking about it. She had been seeing a therapist and it was working wonders for her PTSD. Yet still, opening up was something she really struggled with. She took in a deep breath before beginning. 

"It was just a lot. After what happened in bed, and then Poseidon talking about my arms. It was too much. Also he called me Persee, and the only other person to do that was..." She felt bad once she noticed her tears on his shirt. "I'm sorry I've been talking too much, I'm done. How are you? How have you been love?"

"Seph, hun, this isn't about me. I'm doing ok but I want to know how you are doing. I could listen to your voice for hours on end. How are you love?" 

"I just need a break from the world. I just want to stay in bed, with my beautiful boyfriend, and adorable dogs." She whined. 

"That can be arranged." He kissed her cheek softly. 

She wanted more, turning to grab his cheeks and kissing him passionately. 

"Mm I love you baby." He murmured against her lips. 

"I love you too darling. Thank you for always being here." 

She still had a long way to go on the road to recovery, but he would be there every step of the way.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed. Please I love constructive criticism so if you have any comments please comment them. I don't have a beta so sorry for any mistakes. Comments, kudos, and flames are always appreciated !! <3


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